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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lean — to bend
  3. present — the time now
  4. capital — money
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. present — there
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — to fit
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rush — hurry
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bulb — for light
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bulb — for light
  22. capital — a city
  23. lean — thin
  24. branch — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com